Snake's Tales, Redemption
by Kyle Gaddy
Summary: This takes place in Fallout 3, where a mysterious stranger known only as Snake travels the Capital Wasteland. WARNING! MAJOR SPOILERS FOR THE GAME! That said, see if YOU can identify all the mods I use! good luck!
1. Prologue

Even as I crept through the darkened steel tunnels I couldn't help but think the last few hours have been a dream, dad vanishing without so much a word, security hunting me down as if I was a murdering sociopath and the over seer himself demanding me to be brought to him dead or alive. I couldn't even control my breathing, my hands shaking as they clutched the 10mm pistol given to me by Amata. I was studying to be a Pip-boy programmer, looking forward to working with Stanley. When I presented him with the blue-prints for a custom hand held Pip-boy he jumped at the idea, constructing the shell from left over scrap as I worked on the guts of the small machine. My left hand drifted from the grip of the gun and my fingers briefly brushed the steel of the result of the project, a Pip-boy Personal Data Assistant. A smile tugged at my lips when I heard Stanley's voice calling from the deepest reaches of my memory.

'_If we can find the resources, we could make this the new standard for the vault! Your dad is going to be thrilled!'_

We just finished the prototype the night before, I was going to surprise dad with it, show him that while the rules of the vault were occasionally… strange to me I was more than willing to excel at the profession the G.O.A.T chose for me. Then he was gone… and all this happened. My jumpsuit was sticking to my body from sweat as I opened another door, peeking through the crack with a quickened breath and a racing heart beat. No security, no rad roaches. I continued on, trying to keep my mind from going back to those same questions, why did dad leave? Why didn't he bother to tell me? Why is the overseer out for our blood? I managed to narrowly avoid having to use the gun in my hands on actual people, these people were my family, and I couldn't bring myself to kill them… could I?

The final door, I slipped into the massive room where I found a massive machine attached to a thick and even larger Cog shaped door and a console. I rushed to it, quickly glancing over the controls and operating a switch and lever. Dad left me a note saying how while the vault isn't perfect it was safe, with only a few sparse notes detailing where he might be, a place called Megaton not far from the Vault. Safe, the word felt like a lie now. A chill rolled up my spine as an alarm sounded and amber lights flickered to life and spun, the shudder of heavy machinery and the shriek of poorly oiled gears sounding off as the cog was pulled back and slowly began to turn away from the opening, air hissing as it escaped. I heard security at the door behind me, I cursed for the door to open faster.

"You Did It! You opened The Door!" I spun and found Amata standing beside me, staring as the door rolled aside "My god, I-I almost didn't believe it was possible!" She turned to me, her eyes lit up with awe. There was so much I wanted to tell her, so much I wish I could do. I almost asked her to come with me… instead I told her good bye as my eyes fell to the floor grates.

"Goodbye… Listen, if you do catch up with your dad, tell him I'm sorry. For… you know, Jonas, and My father, and everything…" She reached for my hand, stopping only because vault security finally got the door open.

"THERE HE IS! GET HIM!" I shot a glance to them, then quickly swung myself under the rail and made a mad dash out. I could just hear Amata screaming as she tried to buy me some time, distracting them as I ran through the rocky cave to an old wooden door and barreled on through. I tripped as I made it through, blinded by the light of the outside world, my hands and knees scraping against rock as I failed to catch myself. I took a breath, then another; I heard the vault cog door shrieking as it once again closed back in the cave behind me. Finally I forced myself up, it was all so surreal, a world not of corridors and tunnels of metal but of nature's bounty of earth and flora. My eyes finally adjusted to the sudden abundance of natural light, gazing up into the wild blue of the sky and the soft fluffy clouds that hung above. The air was warm, humid, filled with exotic scents. My arms slowly spread as I took another breath of fresh air, it was almost intoxicating. A smile crept to my lips as I for the briefest moment forgotten all about dad, the vault, the overseer and Amata, only to be brought back to reality by a deafening bang.


	2. Chapter 1, Last Respects

Chapter 1, Last Respects

Night had fallen, the quiet chirps of insects barely audible next to the crackle of a burning fire. The vault dweller took a breath, the simple act causing him intense pain and forcing him to cough, a copper taste filling his mouth.

"Don't try to move, you'll only make it worse" a voice called out. The vault dweller slowly turned his head. A man was hunkered down by the fire, prodding at it with a log. His face unshaven, corn silk brown hair held back by a dark bandanna across his brow, his left eye a steely blue, the other covered with a black cloth patch.

"Who… Who Are"

"Don't talk, if you want to live to see morning you'll want to save your strength" He said coolly in an almost gravely tone. The vault dweller looked down, he was laid out on a sleeping pack, his jumpsuit pulled down around his waist and his torso bandaged up, the white material seeping vermillion. He laid his head back down and took another look at the man, he wore a uniform of some sort, greys and blacks striped around it like it would a tiger.

"What… Happened?" He managed to utter before another fit of coughing brought blood to spill down his chin. The one eyed man simply glanced at him a brief second before going back to tending the fire.

"You were shot by raiders, point blank with Thirty-Two revolver, small caliber but at that range it doesn't matter"

"Raiders? But why" His words were broken by a harsh wheeze for air, he was finding it harder and harder to breathe.

"caps, ammo, food, water, chems, who knows what they thought you had, doesn't matter anymore" The man jerked his thumb behind him, the vault dweller looked in the direction and could just make out the figures of three bodies in the faint glow of the fire. Finally the man stood up and walked over to the vault dweller, kneeling beside him as the young man looked up into the single eye, meeting his cold stare.

"I'm… going to die here, aren't I?" The man only gave the slightest of nods, the dweller didn't know why but it brought a smile to his lips and a weak laugh from his throat. He weakly reached back and brought his hand held pip-boy forward, reaching it out to the man "My dad… Megaton… I need… I need to find him"

The man gently took the machine, turning it over and pulling a picture held to it by a strap. It was of an older man in a lab coat standing next to a young boy clutching a BB gun with a wide grin on his lips.

"His name… is… is James… please…" The man put the picture back in its place, resting his arm on his knee as he looked at the vault dweller quietly. The vault dweller only looked back, pleadingly.

"…I'll find your father" The young man smiled again, his arm lying on his belly. He felt like this man was one of his word, one that would honor his wish.

"What… what's your name?"

"It's Snake…" Another chuckle came followed by a cough as the thought of tunnel snakes existing outside the vault crossed his mind.

"Snake… Thank you…" He wanted to tell him so much, wanted to shake his hand. Instead his eyes slowly closed, his smile soon frozen on his lips as his head slowly tilted, his muscles relaxing as his last breath escaped his lungs.

Snake watched the young man a moment longer, sighing and shaking his head before lifting the pip-boy up again, then hesitantly pressing DATA. He spent most the night figuring out the little machine, going over the notes it had collected from its previous owner, listening to voice logs from the young man's father. When he was finished he took one last glance at the body, then clicked on the radio and clipped the pip-boy to his belt before grabbing his shovel to start digging a grave.

Dawn broke over the horizon and Snake wearily looked towards the rising sun as he took another drag from a cigarette. He found a carton on one of the raiders. Sometimes he was thankful for encountering them on his long walk through the wasteland, always finding something of use on them after performing a civic duty of executing them. He turned to the freshly filled grave and the quick cross made from two left over logs and a bit of string, the bodies of the raiders left to rot in the sun. He scoffed before taking one final drag then flicked the butt off the sheer but short cliff onto the broken street below then readjusted his harness and tugged at his gloves, soon making his way down a path onto the road. He followed it through what was left of old world Springvale, only a few buildings remained habitable, the rest hardly skeletons of their former selves with the only real sign of life being an eyebot floating past him playing the enclave radio signal.

He found a sign pointing the direction to megaton and followed the road right, soon finding little more than a worn path that lead to a city walled by the remains of a massive air carrier, the carapace of a giant ant to his right, a water beggar to his left and a protectron wearing a sheriff's hat with a badge welded to his chest at what he only could assume was the entrance.

"Welcome-to-megaton. Friendliest-town-around" it garbled, the grinding of metal sounding as the thick plates slowly peeled away revealing the gate to the town "Have-yourself-a-nice-visit, partner" Snake only gave the briefest nod to the robot, his hand still at his pistol holster as he walked past and into the 'friendliest town around'.

As he closed the gate behind him a man came up to him from the center path, wearing the same sheriff's hat as the robot and a duster, he had a smile on his lips but like snake his hand was at his hip ready to draw.

"Name's Lucas Simms, town sheriff and mayor too, when the need arises" Snake kept silent, his eye darted about the small town. "The quiet type, huh? Fine, might help to keep you out of trouble… I hope you're not a weirdo, got enough of those already" He finally looked at the sheriff again, canting his head, still remaining quiet. "God, I hope you ain't one of those psychotic quiet types, so… is there anything else I can do for you?"

"I'm looking for someone, middle aged guy, wearing a blue jumpsuit with yellow trim…" Lucas seemed almost taken aback by finally eliciting a verbal response.

"Nope, sorry, I got enough fires to put out in this place that I don't have the time to keep tabs on every visitor, I'd ask around town" Snake gave a quiet scoff and looked past the sheriff, down the main path.

"There a bar in this place?"

"Sure is… Moriarty's, the entrance is on the top level, opposite the main gate" Snake gave a curt nod, starting past him "Just be careful" Lucas called out, stopping him in his place "Moriarty is NOT your friend, no matter what he may say, so don't fall for his lies, and for god's sake, don't trust the man" He gave one last nod then continued on. He walked up the catwalk, taking brief note of the bomb that gave the town its name held up by steel struts dead center of the town like a lethal monument. Who in their right mind would believe that building a town around a live WMD was a good idea? He shrugged off the thought. It wasn't any of his business. He finally found Moriarty's and entered, only a few patrons, and of all things a Ghoul playing bartender. He took a seat on one of the stools and the horrid disfigured excuse of life came up to him.

"What'll you have?" he said in that raspy tone that fit his lack of flesh and hair.

"Water, purified" Ghouls were hard to gauge due to their lack of expression, or at least the parts necessary to make any expressions.

"Money up front pal, we don't run tabs for visitors" Snake reached back into his butt pack and spilled several caps onto the bar top, the ghoul looked surprised for a moment before taking all but a couple and walking into a back room. Snake reached into a pocket at his sleeve and retrieved a cigarette and put it to his lips, patting his pockets in search of his lighter. A flame appeared before him, a young woman with strawberry red hair and clothing that showed off her assets and curves providing it. He leaned forward and took a few test puffs, soon pulling back and letting the smoke billow through his nostrils before pulling the cigarette from his lips.

She only gave a smile that he was sure drawn in several weary travelers and locals into a bed with her and took a seat beside him "Hi there, I'm Nova" she said in a sultry purr, the ghoul returned and set a bottle of clear water in front of him.

Snake didn't say anything to Nova, instead unscrewing the cap and taking a few gulps of the crystal pure water.

"New to Megaton, huh? Do yourself a favor and keep walking" She continued "Some of us stay for a few days... and then it's five years later..."

"I didn't plan on staying, I'm looking for someone"

She gave a lewd little giggle "Mmm aren't we all? For a hundred twenty caps you can find me upstairs…" she'd purr, her hand resting on the man's thigh, fingers inching up to his inseam. Snake noticed the ghoul eye him before casting his eyes down and walking away.

"I'm looking for a man" Her fingers didn't stop, neither did her lewd little attempts to coax him.

"Oh hun, I can do so much more for you… I'll even give you a discount" she whispered, inching just a little closer. He took her hand and pushed it away, putting his cigarette to his lips again.

"Middle aged, wearing a blue jumpsuit with yellow trim, seen him?" Nova looked genuinely offended as she stood up from the stool.

"Haven't seen him" she huffed before turning to storm away.

"Two hundred forty caps" She stopped just at the stair case, eyeing Snake curiously as he continued to drag on his cigarette before peppering his words with the narcotic smoke "If you can tell me anything about the man I'm looking for…" She stood there a moment, her hand on the railing before she soon returned to her stool next to him, Snake only continued to stare forward as if she didn't even exist.

"Two hundred forty? Just to know where some old man is?" Snake flicked the photo of James and the young vault dweller in front of her, Nova leaned forward and squinted as he smothered what was left of his smoke in a nearby ashtray. She looked up from the photo and found Snake was finally looking at her.

"If you can't help me, point me to someone who can" he said steely.

She shot a glance to the Ghoul who peeked back at her over his shoulder before going back to his duties, when she looked back Snake dropped a heavy pouch that rattled with god knows how many caps. She swallowed hard then leaned in close.

"He was here, talking to Moriarty, other than that I don't know anything other than he had a scotch and took off in a hurry… if it was important Moriarty would have put their conversation on his private terminal in the stock room" She whispered hurriedly as she grabbed the pouch and tied it to her belt "The password is lotsacaps, no spaces"

"Where is Moriarty now?"

"Probably outside on the balcony, I'd wait until we close before you try to" He cut her off when he stood up and leisurely walked around the bar towards the stockroom.

"Hey you can't come back here!" the ghoul called to him, though did nothing to stop him as he sat down at the terminal and quickly put in the password, hooking up the pip-boy as it booted up the information. He quickly copied everything he could then left the stockroom, just as who he could only guess was Moriarty walked in.

"Hey now who the fuck are you!" He hollered, Snake simply brushed past him and walked out the door. He went out to the balcony and briefly took a final look at Megaton, he could hear Moriarty coming behind him "Now just what the fuck do you think you're doing in my office you" Blued steel and the faint smell of gun oil silenced him, a forty-five auto trained right between his eyes.

"I'm leaving, if you keep making so much noise I'll shut you up for good…" Snake growled, Moriarty barely managed a nod in his quivering state. He holstered his forty-five and briskly exited the way he came, leaving the older bearded man seething, only daring to call out when the shutter closed behind Snake.

"Yea! Y-You Better Run Ya Wee Fuck!"


	3. Chapter 2, Gunfight at Super Duper Mart

He flicked through the various menus, clicking through the data he collected from Moriairty's terminal. He found little other than a mention of Galaxy News Radio and their DJ Three Dog. The pip-boy automatically placed a marker on the location, a screen soon coming up asking him if he would like directions. He clicked yes and a dotted line soon zigzagged about, his brow arching as a few more markers came up, one was for a Farragut west metro station west of megaton. He guessed it to be the safest route, as the surface would be crawling with Super Mutants and their pet beasts. He looked up from the pip-boy into the distance; he could make out an old grocery outlet just before the river right in his path. A smile touched his lips as he clipped the pip-boy back to his belt, his rations were running low and the place didn't look like scavengers would have an easy time picking it clean. He elected for the winding path over rock and gravel seeing no real easy path forward to save him daylight, nothing bothered him, not even a mole-rat in sight. It wasn't until he came to the side of the building that a familiar scent came to him, the scent of rotting flesh.

He drew his forty-five and ejected the magazine, three left with one in the chamber. He checked his ammo pouch, two more mags but beyond that he had nothing save for his combat knife strapped to his right leg and a smaller knife taped to his harness, ready for an emergency left handed draw to defend himself. He took a breath and traded the half empty clip for a full one, slapping it into the mag well before finally peeking around the corner. At the entrance hung a few bodies lashed to the building by chains, rendered and dismembered for amusement. Raiders have laid claim to the spot, which meant there should still be ample supplies left. Only one sentry stood guard, half asleep out of boredom. Snake drew the knife strapped to his chest, slowly pulling around the corner and making his approach, taking care that what little noise he made was short and shallow. It wasn't until he was hardly a step away that the dirt covered raider snorted himself awake, smacking his lips and opening his lips in a wide O for a yawn only to find himself choking on his own blood.

Snake pulled his blade free from the raider's throat and took a quick survey around for another guard, ignoring the sickening gurgle of the dead man's last breath. He was alone with the corpse, upon searching it he found an old Chinese mockup of a German made pistol loaded with his preferred caliber. Sadly the raider had nothing else on him aside from that, though not to look a gift horse in the mouth he unloaded the Chinese pistol carefully and dropped the rounds into one of the olive drab canvas pouches that were hooked onto his pistol belt. Satisfied he carefully entered the large grocery mart, finding a massive open space with rows of aisles and shelves, some knocked over and leaning against others, boards crisscrossing in a make shift path atop the ones that remained standing, what fluorescent lights were still live flickered high above. His 45 auto in his right hand, his close quarters fighting knife in his left he slowly made his way forward, his one eye darting about. He pressed himself against one of the shelves, peeking around it and finding another Raider, this one a great deal more heavily armed with a Russian made AK. He crept up behind the man and wrapped his fore arm around his neck, locking it with his gun arm. The raider made only a few brief wheezes, his rifle dangling at his fingers, in a few seconds he was silent.

Not one to half-ass much in his life Snake gave a quick jerk, the raider's neck sounding of in a crackling pop, lowering the body gently on the ground and lifted the AK. The stock was missing, as was the original wooden furniture that made up the fore-grip, the barrel and gas tube wrapped in worn duct tape. He checked the magazine, at least three rounds that he could see in the little available light, quietly returning it into the receiver he tugged the charging bolt, a round was chambered. He slung the weapon around his neck and shoulder, swinging it to his back. While it wasn't a rifle he particularly enjoyed he preferred a full auto solution should numbers be working against him. The sound of a door latch to his left caught his attention; it was coming from the restrooms. He quickly left the body where it lie and pressed himself against the entryway, waiting for the next raider to come. Slow footsteps at first, then a voice.

"What the fuck?" A woman's voice, confused and hoarse, chem abuse obvious by her tone, he waited quietly, his knife raised. Finally she slowly stepped into view, tattered leather armor and an old motorcycle helm. A quick thrust to the chest, another, then a swipe to the throat. She barely managed a groan before she fell to her knees, then to the floor. This one had a sawn off, no use to him. He decided to investigate the restroom the woman raider came from, finding little more than a few syrettes and inhalers of chems, though he soon trained his pistol at one of the stalls at the quiet sob. Slowly he opened it, finding a woman in what was left of her shredded clothing, tied to the toilet. She looked at Snake, part fearful and part pleading. He took a moment, holstered his gun and started cutting her free.

"Keep quiet and stay low, head for the door and run west to Megaton" He hissed, sawing at the rope. She stifled her next few sobs, nodding and rubbing her wrists the moment the coarse fibers came off.

"T-thank you"

"Just get out of here quietly" She gave another quick nod and wearily stood up, soon making her way out with him. He lead her as far as the entryway, peeking around the corner as the woman covered her mouth to keep from making a sound at the two dead raiders. He glanced back and nodded her over to the entrance. She took off in a quick scamper, only stopping once to kick one of the corpses. A smile tugged at his lips at that, he shook his head and began making his way deeper into the grocery mart. He ducked behind one of the old refrigeration stands, glancing over it. He saw only one more Raider, walking along the planks atop the shelves. He drew his forty-five again and braced it with his fore arm, resting his elbow on the stand, taking careful aim. A deafening crack sounded, the Raider's head jerking back, his body following suit and collapsing on the floor in the aisle. Snake gave a sigh, grunting as another voice screamed.

"HA! Jessica finally get sick of that bitch!" Another one, exiting from the halls leading to the store room, a bit more heavily armored than the last three, dressed in patches of metal armor with nails and spikes jutting out here and there and a motorcycle helmet done the same way. He spotted Snake, a quiet moment was exchanged, and then he cursed and reached for one of the several grenades strapped to his hip. Snake swung his aim and fired three times in quick succession. The first bullet bounced off the man's helmet, the second planted in a steel plate on his chest with the third penetrated and knocked him down. It wasn't a kill and the Raider rolled onto his side and managed to pull the pin on the grenade. Snake fired three more times, knocking the wind out of him with one driving through his arm, causing him to lose his grip on the grenade. The distinct metal click sounded as the safety lever launched off, both Snake and the Raider watched the live ordnance hit the ground and roll a few inches, then looked up into each other's eyes. Snake was already counting the seconds as he slowly ducked back behind the stand.

The Raider gave a brief moan for help then the blast rocked his body and hearing. He took a breath and stood, finding chunks of the raider spread about the floor. He glanced down to his forty-five, the slide locked back signifying it was empty. He dropped the clip into his hand and replaced it, making a mental note to reload the clip when he had a safer chance while tugging the slide into chambering the new round from the fresh mag. He then proceeded to search the two last raiders, collecting the few grenades that survived and looked to be in working condition and the magazines of seven-six-two ammunition from the one that was patrolling atop the aisles. He also found a better cared for AK on the raider, trading it without a second thought for his earlier procurement. He tested the stock against his shoulder and peered down the sights. Satisfied he slung the sling around his body and continued his search, starting with the store room the grenade wielder came from. He found the right hall lead to an office where he found a few boxes of ammunition and grenades, leaving after pocketing what he felt comfortable with carrying.

He checked the right next, finding more ammunition lain out on the counter and in more boxes, grenades and even a mine box. The locked boxes didn't give him much trouble as he simply smashed them open and grabbed what he needed. Next was a door that leads into the store house, he tested the knob finding it locked. He gave it a kick, no give. He stroked his jaw then retrieved one of the grenades he left behind and taped it to the knob with duct tape from his butt-pack. He pulled the pin and watched the safety lever shoot off, calmly walking away and turning the corner. He counted down from ten, pulling a cigarette and lighting it just as the grenade detonated. He went back to the door, finding it ajar and lacking of a knob and in its place gnarled metal. He nodded bemused and raised his handgun and knife, pushing the door open and peering in. Not much was left on the shelves or the crates that laid open and strewn about the floor. He went to the wall across to a med kit, flipping it open and quickly stuffing the supplies into his pack. Bandages, gauze, styptic, disinfectant and stim-packs left untouched. Maybe the Raiders couldn't get in?

He glanced to the counter, finding a mini-nuke of all things and a few caps. Someone else was using this place as shelter at some point, maybe the woman he freed. He left the nuke where it laid; the world has seen enough of its ilk as it was. He finally saw the large chamber holding a protectron and a terminal. Curious he tapped on the keyboard, the monitor coming to life after all this time and requesting a password. He shrugged, probably more trouble than it'd be worth, he did however grab the electric ID card laying on top the terminal.

"Hey guys we're back from" He jerked his forty-five back to the door, someone was on the PA system "hang on… something's off here" They weren't the only Raiders here, Snake cursed under his breath at being holed up in a room with only one exit… Then he glanced at the slumbering robot for a moment.

"What the hell happened here?" asked the Raider, gripping at his revolver as he kneeled down to the corpse of one of his comrades "Jennifer…" he said solemnly as his mates walked around him.

"Intruder-Alert! Intruder-Alert!" the garbled metallic voice called as a red hot beam zipped past his head. He found a robot marching slowly towards them, the other Raiders already firing on it. The bullets ricocheting and bouncing off its steel hull as it continued to return fire, burning a hole in one of them. The Raider grit his teeth and raised his gun, firing everything he had at it. The glass chamber housing the protectron's brain and sensors cracked and shattered, the robot soon jerking itself into hitting the floor. He gasped for air, his heart racing and his blood surging in his ears, one of his mates gasping in pain and clutching the hole burned into her chest, the other reduced to glowing ash. Where did that robot come from? He only had a moment to ponder before a shot rang out, suddenly it felt like someone slugged him in the chest. He looked down, his fingers pressing to the source of the feeling and coming back wet and red with his blood.

"W-what?" He heard footsteps, causing him to look up and finding a man soon standing before him, dressed like he was straight from the old-world military holding Paul's AK, he recognized it because Paul was obsessed with keeping it as clean as possible, it was almost as good as new "That's… That's Paul's gun…" he remarked, it was becoming harder to breath. The man raised the gun and trained it on the Raider's brow, ending his misery.

Snake gave a sigh, lowering the rifle. This scavenger hunt was more trouble than it was worth even if it refilled his supplies and ammo. He reminded himself as long as he came out in the green it was always worth the fight. The words of his old commander sounded in the back of his mind, his fingers reaching up and brushing his eye-patch at the memory. He shrugged it off, quickly searching what remained of the store and finding a fridge filled with prepared and canned foods. He snagged what he could and refilled his canteen with the only bottle of clear purified water in the fridge. More boxes of ammunition and grenades, as well as two laser pistols and a few charge packs laid on the counters. Another memory came to him, energy weapons training. He almost reached for one, then drew back his hand. He was never comfortable with them, the lack of kick or recoil and the fact that they grew hot to the touch after repeated fire. A pistol or rifle required more maintenance but to him it was worth the trade-off.

He left the grocery mart, taking the cigarette from his lips finding it burning his lips from having burned down to the filter and flicked it, continuing his trek to the metro.


	4. Chapter 3, Dancing with the Muties

Crossing the river was easy, no Mirelurks in sight. The metro itself was a different story, he found feral ghouls, ghouls that have lost all sense of self and become little more than animals along with a few rad-roaches and mole-rats. He managed to make it through with little problem, navigating the maze with the pip-boy PDA. He did have a brief moment in the cramped areas of the maintenance and supervisor tunnels, breaking a lock on a gate with a kick and a door lock with a bullet. He had a brief stint with a Super-Mutant that had wandered in, but it was so pre-occupied with the ghouls it didn't have time to take notice of Snake sneaking past. He soon saw daylight again without spending more than a few rounds. A few minutes later he came to a collapsed building, the pip-boy showing the path leading through it and another building until he finally reached the GNR building. A harsh wind blew through the street, he clutched at his new AK instinctively as he began forward. He walked into the skeletal remains of the building, peering each new corner cautiously. His caution was rewarded with a blood thirsty roar.

He spun on his heel and brought his rifle up, finding a super mutant with a nasty old world machine gun. He briefly recognized it as the German precursor to the American M60, the FG 42, a curious design choice to make a full auto weapon that fired the high caliber 7.92x57mm Mauser. It was revolutionary at the time, influencing most modern weapon designs. Now a green hulking giant was training it on him. He held the stock tight against his shoulder and held the trigger down, rounds exploding from the AK and piercing the giant before it could get a round off. It fell with a sickening guttural groan, the old weapon hitting the ground with it. Snake breathed a sigh of relief, cut short by the massive hands that clamped around his throat. He gasped for air in panic; the AK falling to the ground as his fingers desperately clutched and pulled on those meaty fingers. Finally in a moment of clarity his left hand went to his chest, his right hand to his ankle, pulling his combat and survival knives and quickly stabbing the monster's hands and wrists again and again, its green putrid blood spilling into the dirt and gravel below.

The giant screamed and hollered, dropping him and clutching at its bleeding wounds. Snake tumbled and rolled away, turning and raising his blades. He took a quick look and found the AK was out of reach. He was just reaching for his Forty-Five auto when the monster regained its senses and charged, no time and no hope of winning against a mutant this size with only a couple of blades. The familiar scent of ozone, a sudden wave of heat and a familiar ZAP sounded, the monster stopped in place. It looked at Snake oddly, and then slowly turned towards the source of the sound, revealing a great deal of skull burned away before it collapsed in an awkward twirl. Snake watched it a moment longer, then slowly circled around the corpse to his Kalashnikov, kneeling and sheathing his blades and taking up the rifle again.

"Look, I don't know who you are but you don't belong here!" He spun and brought the rifle to bear on the owner of the voice, finding a blonde young woman in advanced heavy steel armor and piercing blue eyes. The shoulder painted with a symbol of a winged sword with a black lion atop it. The Brotherhood of Steel, a high ranking one at that armed with a laser rifled with an electronic scope atop its battery housing.

"I'm passing through…" He hissed back, refusing to lower his weapon just yet. She scoffed and gave a brief hand signal, suddenly more men and women in combat and power armor peered from their hiding places, all armed to the teeth with energy rifles and pistols. Snake took a brief moment, his eye scanning about before he lowered his weapon and took his finger from the trigger.

"If you want to get your ignorant wastelander ass killed fine by me, just stay out of our way" She made another quick gesture, the rest of the heavily armored group relaxed and turned, walking away into a small out cropping between buildings. Her eyes however lingered on Snake a little longer before joining them. He sighed and unclipped the pip-boy from his pistol belt, clicking it on and double checking his route. It leads right through that same path the Brotherhood was on. He returned it to its place and soon followed. He found the blonde soon glaring at him again "The super mutants have over run our brothers at the Galaxy News Radio building and we're heading to back them up" She started forward again, every one of the 'brothers' under her command watched her with an air of admiration "You can tag along if you want, just stay low and keep your head down… and try not to do anything… stupid" She called back as she patted a sniper taking pot shots around the corner. He looked back at her and gave a brief salute.

"All clear Sentinel, five mutants released from their torment, the rest are keeping their heads down" He then shot a look at Snake as he came up behind the woman, checking his magazine "A new recruit?"

"Just a stray we picked up, blundered into the uglies over on forty-second" The woman commander said steely.

"Welcome!" the sniper called to Snake, who didn't even bother to regard the man as he did a brass check of his rifle "huh, talkative isn't he?"

Snake finally raised his head and began marching forward, the commander calling out to him "Hold on you idiot! The Park is Clear but the Building!" Snake managed to get halfway to the next building when a bullet zipped past his cheek. He raised the AK and fire three times into the windows above the door, the mutant soon falling dead to the ground as the front doors swung open and two more came out. Snake fired two rounds before his mag hit empty, the Mutant he hit dead before he crossed passed the door frame. The last managed a few more feet before Snake pulled his forty-five auto and put three rounds into its chest. The mutant fell to its knees and its fingers reached for the wound, its breathing a wheeze of its former self. He ended the mutant's misery with one last round between the eyes.

The small squad behind him stared in awe as he calmly unloaded the half filled magazine and replaced it with a full one, then reloaded his AK "Commander… this guy is good" The blonde woman didn't even blink, eventually she managed to signal for the rest of her team to follow behind her and moved forward. She gave Snake an estranged look, and a brief nod that was returned. Snake and the Commander moved up with the team, taking first shots at what few super mutants remained in the building, the rest of the team sweeping behind and finishing off what was breathing. They had maybe two or three chances to fire out of the six that the two taking point fired on.

"The GNR is just to the south, Colvin, you're our eyes…" the commander called back, Snake just continued on into the courtyard, the sound of laser and gunfire sounding off like the drums of war. He stepped out and tugged the trigger, the Super Mutants attacking the building didn't bother to turn around thinking they were being flanked, so sure of their rear guard that lay dead inside the dilapidated building. They all dropped one by one and soon only the brotherhood and Snake remained. The commander or the 'Sentinel' as her squad kept referring to her soon came up behind him, briefly stunned by the carnage before motioning to her squad to spread out and check the wounded.

The Sentinel and Snake made their way up the stairs to the door, almost reaching the intercom when a thunderous crash sounded, then another.

"Redding! Get away from there!" a paladin called out, Snake turned in time to see the poor recruit get blasted away from a pile of cars serving a wall, and a massive two story tall behemoth walked through, holding a fire hydrant by its water line like a club and using a car door like a shield.

"BEHEMOTH! GET DOWN!" Snake and the Sentinel started back down the stairs, firing away as did what remained of the brotherhood. Small arms and laser fire wouldn't be enough however, the behemoth swatting at the brotherhood close enough. Snake looked around, he needed something, maybe lure it towards a few of the intact cars and try a grenade? No that required him to be close enough to get fried by the blast himself.

"You! Go grab that MIRV!" Snake jerked back then looked again, a fallen Paladin was wielding a mini nuke launcher, draped on the fountain like a gory decoration. Snake dashed for it, leaping and grabbing the weapon, hitting the earth with a growl as he took aim. It'd be danger close but there was no other choice.

"FIRE IN THE HOLE!" He tugged the trigger, the weapon jerked against him and the small nuclear warhead lobbed into the air, arcing right into the behemoths shoulder and detonating in an almost blinding blast of light. Their eyes shut and they all covered their faces from the blast, even miniaturized there was a danger of going blind. Soon Snake turned his head and found a mushroom cloud raising up to threaten to top the building, then his blood ran cold as the behemoth roared and stepped from it, its left arm little more than meat but its right raising its make shift club high. He couldn't risk another shot at this range, instead he grasped the Fat Man tightly and rang forward, swinging it into the beast's shin. The behemoth gave a roar and toppled off balance, shaking the earth as it hit the ground. Snake wasted no time in ditching the MIRV and quickly swung his AK around, vaulting over the behemoths remaining useful arm and coming up to its face.

The monster roared at him pitifully as Snake braced the rifle to his shoulder and unloaded every round in the magazine into its face. When it hit empty he took no time and pulled his handgun, unloading it as well into the beast's eyes. The slide locked back, the faint sound of grinding metal coming with each useless pull of the trigger. Finally Snake dropped his arms, his breathing ragged, sweat soaking through his midnight blue bandana and flowing down his cheeks, the clicks of the Geiger counter on the Pip-boy finally cueing him to walk away, absently reloading his pistol as he did. The sentinel watched him as he came up to her at the foot of the steps, he was swapping the clips in his AK.

"Uhm… I guess its my turn to thank you…"

"Don't, I'm only here to talk to the DJ" He hissed, brushing his fore arm along his cheek. He felt so hot now, too many rads.

"Right, well, the area's secure, so you free to wander around and talk to Three Dog… You uh… might wanna take some RadAway too while you're at it…" Snake nodded his own sign of thanks and the woman started to walk away.

"Hey, what's your name?" He called out to the Sentinel. She turned and gave an odd look, soon flashing a small smile.

"Sarah Lyons, commander of the Lyons Pride… what's your name?"

"It's Snake…"

"Snake… I won't forget it" she called, finally returning to her duties. Snake felt a smile tug at the corner of his mouth as he watched her, tilting his head as his eye followed the sudden sway of her hips. He gave a scoff and finally clicked on the intercom by the door "Its clear"


	5. Chapter 4, Three Dog's Plea

Soft snapping of the burning tobacco could just be heard, Snake was reclined in a chair, his torso bare of his BDU and thermal undershirt, an IV taped to his arm and feeding his body with RadAway as a cigarette dangled from his lips. He took Sentinel Lyon's advice, firing the MIRV in that close of quarters was bad enough, but then running into the blast area immediately after just wrecked hell on him. He was beginning to feel cool again, the pip-boy's Rad gauge falling lower and lower with each passing moment. He glanced up and found a man standing before him, wearing a doo rag and glasses, maybe a few weeks without a shave.

"The look on your face says it all, you're wondering who this guy is and why should you care?" Snaked arched a brow and took the cigarette from his lips "Well prepare to be enlightened" the man said with a smile and spread his arms "I am Three Dog, jockey of discs and teller of truths, lord and master over the greatest station to grace the wastes!" He then leaned forward and extended his finger "And you… you're not who I was expecting"

"Who were you expecting?" Snake asked, taking another drag.

"A kid fresh out of the vault with the means to fulfill his pocket full of dreams looking for dear old dad… you look more like a retired green collar" Snake scoffed and tugged the IV from his arm.

"The kid is dead, he asked me to find his father" he said coldly.

"Well… don't that beat all, how'd it happen?"

"The father, where is he?"

"Hey hey one thing at a time, nah the old man ain't here, not anymore" Snake groaned as he slipped on his thermal shirt, soon slipping on his BDU jacket and buttoning it up "He heard ol' Three Dog on the radio and figured I knew what was what out here in the wasteland, and he was right! So I filled the old man in" Snake finished dressing himself, rolling up his sleeves and staring at Three Dog with a less than thrilled expression.

"Cut the crap, tell me where the father is…"

"He split, I have my own way of fighting the good fight, and apparently he has his own"

"You're gonna have a 'good fight' on your hands if you don't start talking…" Snake hissed, his fingers snapping his holster open.

"Hey now, there's no need for that kinda talk, I'm here to help not hurt" The DJ of Galaxy News said, taking a step back and raising his hands. Snake growled, taking his hand away from his gun and taking the cigarette from his lips again, flicking the ash.

"But your help comes at the price of my help…?"

"Hey, not everyone's cut out for for bigger and better things, even the smallest roles are the most important in the good fight"

"If I hear anything about the 'good fight' one more time I'll shoot you…" Three dog raised his arms higher.

"But if it's the dad you want, then I will abide"

"Then where is he?"

"It just so happens his location is known to yours truly, he was here, at Galaxy News, we had a great conversation, real stand up guy"

"Three Dog…" Snake growled.

"If you wanna know more, your gonna have to contribute to" The sound of the hammer on Snake's forty-five auto made the DJ reconsider his last words "…the cause" In a flash Snake was on him, pinning him to the wall and pressing his knife to the man's scruffy neck, Three Dog realizing his mistake of not having any of the brotherhood in the room with him quickly started talking.

"Look, he's some kinda scientist type! Some kind of egghead or something! I'll tell you where he is if he can help our cause!"

"Stop… Tell me where he is, I'm not interested in your cause, I made a promise to a dying boy and I intend to keep it…" He pressed the knife harder into the DJ's throat.

"H-He kept going on about some scientific mumbo-jumbo! Something or another about some 'project purity'!"

"That doesn't help me Three Dog…"

"Wait I'm not Finished! He said he was going to go see a Doctor Li at Rivet City!" Snake dropped the man, who rubbed at his throat as the mercenary sheathed his knife again and grabbed his AK "Your gonna tell him about the good fight right?"

"I'm going to tell a father his son is dead… I don't give a damn about your fight"

"Look man can you at least hear me out?" Snake checked his pip-boy, tapping on the icon for Rivet City, a route soon was calculated "I'll be quick, our dish is trashed and we need a new one, we think there's one at the Museum of Technology on the old Virgo two Lunar Lander" Snake was checking the route, groaning when he found it took him through another metro "We just need you to snag it and take it to the Washington monument, that's all man!" Snake memorized the path and clipped the pip-boy back to his belt, flicking his cigarette butt to the floor before glancing at the hysterical man over his shoulder.

"…I'll think about it" With those last words he left the DJ in his stupor. Snake waltzed right out the back door, soon finding himself peering down several stories of floors, half the building seemed to be missing as he saw down into the road below, spotting a few ghouls. He checked his ammo, he was running low on ammo for the AK, and he'd either find a way to restock it or simply pick up a new rifle. He looked up into the sky, it was mid day, then at the route the pip-boy chose. It lead back through the way he came, through the metro and followed the river. He shook his head and clicked on the Museum of Technology, another route appearing that ran through the city and another metro station. It wasn't too far from Rivet City and didn't require back tracking.

"Looks like I'm fighting the 'good fight' after all… hnm" He put the pip-boy away and took up his rifle again, soon making his way down the few exposed floors of the GNR, carefully finding his way down to the ground below. The moment his boots hit earth one of the wander ghouls gave a hiss and charged, two rounds put it down. Another came around from behind a bus, a quick burst dropped it. He followed the road to a collapsed over lapping bridge, his path cut off. To his left he found a door leading into the car tunnel beneath the overpass, the brotherhood of steel emblem painted in yellow with an arrow pointing to it. A sign for safe passage maybe, but it didn't assure him enough not to keep his rifle trained into the door even as he opened it. He slipped in and the door shut behind him, he found little more than just a collapsed car tunnel and a few more yellow paint arrows indicating the door across from where he stood. He crossed the collapsed tunnel without incident, he even came out street side and made it to the station without incident, however while navigating the metro tunnels he felt an odd stress, forcing him to slow down and crouch, keeping his rifle trained ahead.

His caution was rewarded, he caught a Raider smoking and leaning back in a chair behind a make shift sheet metal curtain nailed to boards for support. Snake glanced down the tunnel, his eyes following the arrows as they continued on, he could avoid the raider entirely but then what would happen to the next wanderer to waltz through expecting safety? He slung his rifle around to his back and pulled his knife, creeping to the edge of the curtain and giving a low whistle.

"Huh? Jack that you?" He wished that Raiders didn't travel in packs, necessitating the use of stealth when dealing with one supposedly on its own. He heard the man stand, listened to his foot steps as he wandered from his resting spot, watched his shadow cross under the curtain and finally watched him wander out, looking for his friend. In a blink Snake was on him, knocking the man's weapon from his grasp and holding the point of his knife to the Raider's throat.

"Keep quiet and you'll live longer… How many of you are here?"

"A-a couple man, I don't know how many, Greg and Gonzales brought their own pals, m-maybe seven, eight?"

"Spread out all the way to the Museum of Technology?"

"Oh fuck no man, between the Monument and the capital building is nothing but trenches and pissed of super mutants! No w-we're just watching the entrance on both sides I swear!"

"Good boy…" Snake hissed

"S-so your gonna let me live right? You said you'd let me live if I was quiet"

"I said 'longer', I didn't say I wouldn't kill you after" The raider stammered, opened his mouth to scream and only found himself choking on his own blood, unable to get a word past his lips other than a horrid gurgle. Snake softly lowered the body and searched him, finding a few cigarettes but little else other than a bottle of whiskey. The weapon he knocked from his hands was a worn and dull switch blade, not even worth the second look he granted it. He searched the Raider's table and chair, empty bottles, an ammo box with two metal clips of seven-six-two millimeter rounds, which he was thankful for and a few plastic mags filled with five-four-five rounds. He only knew a few communist rifles that used it, part of the AK family, the Seven-Four and the newest One-Oh-Five. He pulled the magazine from his AK Forty-Seven and pulled back the bolt, the chamber was blackened with powder and excess fire without cleaning or maintenance.

The wood furnishing made the weapon unnecessarily heavy, the One-Oh-Five models used lighter plastic, generally had a shortened barrel and the smaller caliber made it a great deal easier to handle. After a bit of debate he pocketed the Five-Four-Five magazines as well and hoped to find the rifle and its owner. He slapped the magazine back in and continued down the tunnel, stepping quietly and carefully. He came to the station; over head was a waiting platform. He checked his map; he needed to head through to the maintenance office and then out through an old collapsed tunnel. He slowly started up the steps to the platform, pulling his CQC knife and holding it with his ring and pinky fingers while his index, middle fingers and thumb grasped the wooden furniture of the AKs fore grip. He didn't want to chance a close quarters ambush while holding a rifle; old training that made such awkward actions second nature to him. He peeked over the railing, finding another Raider passed out on a flat of cardboard.

He checked around, no one else, this must have been their make shift barracks and sleeping quarters. He took the final few steps and crept up to the slumbering Raider, a flash of his blade and continued on his way, once again finding himself in crew quarters and maintenance tunnels, a few more encounters with raiders and a brief smile after hacking a turret system to deal with a small group, one that held the AK One-Oh-Five he sought and replaced without hesitation, again checking the weapon over out of habit finding it in pristine condition before continuing on yet again. He soon found daylight again, or what little of it was left as twilight set in. He slowly stepped out into the long stretch of battlefield known as the Mall, buildings intact and dilapidated outlining the center cratered with trenches, tunnels, fox holes and walkways filled with super mutants, the Washington monument standing tall to this day over it all due to the Brotherhood of Steel's perseverance across from the capital building, held by the mutants and their pets. It was moments like this where he felt more at home, years of training made to hone him into an instrument to be used in a war.

He didn't care for it; it wasn't his fight, not his cause. The most death filled valleys like this brought him were instincts that led to best forgotten memories. His fingers brushed at the patch across his eye again, then hesitantly lifted it. Underneath was a bit of scar tissue, and oddly enough a fully functional eye at first glance. The iris spun and flashed brief hues of various colors, the pupil dilating and shrinking again as it cycled through various magnifications and focuses and sent test images to his optic nerves. He scanned the buildings, the prosthetic highlighting anything that moved, identifying it with an FF tag and color, cycling through heat and electro-magnetic signatures to find more hidden threats. As he slowly searched the stretched out battlefield he felt a familiar burn in his eye socket, one he had been accustomed to but hated as it was a constant reminder of how he came by the advanced prosthetic. A test they said, for soldiers that had lost their eyes during the brutal training exercises or the occasional weapon malfunction. A convenient lie, they wanted to augment everyone in the vault with cybernetic prosthetics in hopes of making super soldiers. Their own civil war broke out from within the hidden vault they used as a base, he narrowly escaped with his life. He screwed his eyes shut and shook his head, his knuckles white as his fingers clutched painfully at the plastic furnishings of his latest rifle.

The patch came back down, the prosthetic eye shutting off on its own accord. The Museum of Technology was across the way, relatively unguarded with a clear path between him and the entrance. Despite that he still crept through the trenches low with his rifle raised, never depend on technology. He narrowly slipped by a single mutant that wandered into his path, other than that no incident as he quietly entered the Museum of Technology. Inside the building was mostly intact save for a few spots where the roof collapsed, blocking the easiest access point to the dish. Why was he here? Why even bother if he already had the information he needed?

Because Three Dog was fighting his own fight, and that earned enough respect for this simple detour. Simple, not the word to use as two super mutants entered into view, one on the upper balcony, the second on the ground floor with him. He cursed quietly and ducked behind a display case, pulling the bolt on his rifle and brass checking the chamber before slowly letting it close again as silently as he could manage. Two here, more almost assuredly deeper inside, he checked his ammunition supply, patting the pouches on his belt. He had four spare clips for the AK left and three extra for his Forty-Five auto. He took a breath and slowly started forward, creeping behind old broken display cases, slipping into his next cover only when neither of the muties were facing his direction. A slow patient process, he soon found himself behind the reception desk, breathing a sigh before peeking over it. He could see the Virgo Two lander and its dish… as well as a caved in roof blocking any direct path.

Snake swore under his breath, unclipping the Pipboy from his belt and clicking through the map. A few moments, he wondered how the little device scanned the surrounding area but soon a floor pan came up, there was another way to the lander, through an old Vault exhibit. He shook his head, it was a long detour and a potentially lethal when he had no idea of just how many of the muties were scattered through the building. A dull shock sent dust drifting down from the ceilings, the muties looking up and around. A stray missile maybe? Another one rocked the building, the mutant upstairs began its slow curious lumber down from the balcony to join its comrade. The moment he saw the opening snake slithered his way up the stairs and across to a door leading into the next exhibit of a space rocket, with a circling flight of stairs following the walls for a few floors, he could already hear the next batch of the super mutants. He chanced a glance down, finding three, again heavily armed as was the norm for the uglies. He was suddenly wishing for the weapons cache of his home vault, custom assault weapons made specifically to deal with both super mutants and the larger rad beasts as well as rebuilt old world rifles.

He sat and laid his back against the banister, sighing quietly as his eyes languidly rose and went from the peeling wallpaper to the dimming and flickering lights in thought. His thoughts slithering back to the past again, preparing to wipe out the mutant menace with a military bred army. His entire youth slaved to the days of drills and weapon training. It wasn't until he was in his mid teens that he saw just how the over seer was creating his army. Every male was tested rigorously and if given passing marks were to be the next breeders for the next generation of soldiers. He remembered being walked into a small room, the only things occupying it were a surgical table, on it was a woman nude with her legs forced apart and held in stirrups. The sight sickened him, almost as much as catching the over seer's leering gaze over his shoulder, insistent that he watched to insure everything was done properly. He saw her pleading with his eyes, she had to thanks to the gag holding her words in. Those red tearful eyes…

He shook the memory off, his fore arm running across the dark bandanna at his brow with a sigh. _Its been years, let it go_ he told himself, bracing his rifle against his shoulder as he dared another look over the banister. The muties were gone, either to search somewhere else for food, ammo or god knows what or simply left due to boredom and lack of things to kill. Despite that he still took every precaution to stay as quiet as possible as he proceeded down the steps, rifle raised and ears straining to hear every little creek and groan the ancient floor would give off. After some time he finally pushed forward into the exhibit, the lunar lander still standing despite all that has happened to the world, the dish unharmed. He checked his corners and his six, no threats. He could hear the two super mutants at the lobby on the other side of the collapsed roof and rubble, making him careful as he disassembled the dish piece by piece, tying it all down with a bit of fishing line he kept for emergency stitching. After securing it to his harness he stood again, raising his rifle as he heard the growls and groans of more muties, behind the door he came in. He cursed and quickly checked, dashing through the first door he found. A brief sprint through the hall and he found himself in a small planetarium, near pitch black with a large spherical projector in the center of rows of seats. He could tell all of this after minute of bumping blindly through it all, finally hesitantly lifting his patch and switching on IRNV. The room lit up in a dull green glow, the panel controlling the projector glowing with heat from an uninterrupted power source.

He shrugged it off, instead searching for another exit, only to find it locked. He reached back and pulled a grenade, only to stop from tying it off on the handle hearing the grumbles of the super mutants. Breaching the door would lead into a fire fight he'd rather avoid, the ones he avoided weren't too heavily armed, but the two in the lobby had possession of belt fed light machine guns he didn't bother to check the makes, they were either the 5.56 M249 or the heavier hitting 7.62 M240 at a glance, both weapons which only a fool would attract the attentions of. He stroked his bearded jaw thoughtfully as he walked back into the center of the planetarium, grinning wolfishly as an idea came. He operated the panel, soon powering on the projector and automated PA system spouting tourist drivel. Pulling the eye patch back down and shutting off the prosthetic as he jumped up the rows of seats Snake soon crouched over the entry way of the lobby entrance, waiting with his finger hooking in the grenade pin. Then waited, and waited, finally he heard the door open and pulled the pin, quietly pulling the safety lever free as he counted down. He was beginning to worry they would be slow, the super mutants just emerging as he hit three. He dropped the grenade between them and flattened himself on the entryway, covering his head. He heard a curious grunt, then a shattering boom that rocked his meat.

He didn't bother checking his kills, he rolled himself onto the floor and made a mad run for the exit, hearing a horrible guttural death rattle behind him all through the hall. He wasn't careful this time, he just ran through the lobby, only hearing roars and barks of gunfire as he barreled through the doors and hooked a right. Night had fallen, the sparse gunfire alerted every mutie in the area, even without his prosthetic he could make out their lumbering forms in the dark. He ducked into a trench and pressed his back into a hallow, forcing his breathing to slow despite his heart racing. He saw a bulging shadow pass, then another, a third, finally he managed to count to thirty without another and risked slithering out from his hiding place, making a near blind run toward the ominous shape rising in the night sky. He remembered old magazines and photos of the capital in its prime, before the nukes fell making it the capital wasteland. He thought of how beautiful it looked, how lavish. Now it was a battlefield. He managed to avoid confrontation all the way to the monument, where two Brotherhood Paladins trained their weapons on him, forcing him to stop in place and raise his rifle above his head as a sign of peace.

"State your business!"

"Delivery" He spat back, his breathing harsh as his words. He slung his rifle and slowly stepped into the flood lights, hands raised "I'm the courier sent to get that old dog back on the air" He only lowered his hands when the two Paladins lowered their rifles, one was courteous enough to radio ahead to open the gates for a delivery. When asked what delivery and informing they had possession of the Virgo dish the sentry came back in disbelief, asking what moron risked their neck. After a brief conversation the paladin turned to him and gave him a look over, nodding his head towards the monument.

"Your clear to enter civilian, elevator to the top, feel free to use the cots and help yourself to the water" Snake gave him a lazy two fingered salute and walked through the gate, his ears catching the conversation behind him.

"Who is that guy?"

"I don't know… but if I were you? I wouldn't point your gun at him again, he took on muties without power armor… That guy, is insane"


End file.
